Reviews

I have eaten at three of the Benkei Ramen houses in Vancouver now but still have yet to try the location on Thurlow. This location on 5th Ave is pretty much the same as the other locations except that its only open during the day and not for dinner; presumably because it caters mostly to the nearby businesses.

Overall my experience was pretty good and the food was tasty. The bowl is a tad on the small side but nothing to complain about for lunch. For dinner, I find Benkei's bowls too small even when paired with a side dish of gyoza. The soup base was rich and full flavoured. The pork was better than I remembered at other locations and wasn't as dry. I had some prawn gyoza and they were average. The service was good and food came out fast. The room is the same as other locations adorned with bamboo and mostly stools to sit on which I don't find very comfortable.

Overall, a good experience but because its off the beaten path for me I probably won't return very often.

I work near this Benkei location and have been to lunch there several times. We've never been disappointed by the service or the quality of the food served. It is usually quite busy but none the less, the waiters are always kind and have a smile on their faces. I've tried a number of different items on the menu and while some are more flavorful than others, they food is pretty much consistent quality wise. I would recommend the spicy ramen, called Akaoni, if you want to try one of the better tasting ramens. Compared to Menya, which is not far away, I would say Benkei has better tasting soup bases. The value is decent, you get a very large bowl for the amount paid, and they do stamp cards that can get you a free bowl of ramen. We've already have one free bowl. Recommended!